Marketing in the Quiet Period in Hospitality: How to Drive Bookings in January and February
- Poorvi Kar
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
Poorvi Kar, Senior Marketing Executive
Every year, restaurants and bars in the UK face the same post-Christmas slump. January and February can feel like a never-ending stretch of empty tables, cancelled reservations, and sluggish sales. Yet, what many in hospitality fail to realise is that this quiet period is actually a strategic opportunity to optimise your operations, plan your strategy, engage with your customers in new ways, and set the stage for a profitable year ahead.
January lull is a well-known challenge across the hospitality sector, with bookings often down by as much as 25% following the Christmas rush. (1) But that doesn't have to be the case for your restaurant or bar. By strategically planning for this quiet period, you can boost revenue, retain loyal customers, and set the tone for the rest of the year.
In this article, we’ll delve into strategic marketing techniques that can help you make the most of the quieter months. We’ll explore how to optimise your restaurant promotions, how to drive repeat visits with bar loyalty programs, and how smart digital marketing strategies can keep your brand top-of-mind throughout the year.
The Importance of Strategic Planning: Prepare for the Quiet Period Ahead of Time
The key to navigating the January and February lull in hospitality is preparation. Waiting until the last minute to try to fill empty tables is not a sustainable strategy. It’s essential to approach the quiet period as a seasonal marketing opportunity, rather than a time to wait for the business to return.
Data-Driven Forecasting: Know Your Numbers
Start by using historical data to forecast your January and February bookings. Look at past years’ performance: the peak booking days, the lulls, and the sales trends. This data-driven approach gives you a clearer picture of what to expect, and allows you to create hospitality focused marketing campaigns that target key periods.
Set Clear Business Goals
Understanding the goals you want to achieve during this quieter period is crucial. Some goals to consider include:
Increasing repeat visits: Focus on retaining guests who dined during the holidays.
Driving off-peak bookings: Fill those empty Monday through Thursday slots.
Maximising margins: Targeting high-margin items or selling higher-ticket offers like wine pairings and specials.
Brand reinforcement: Staying relevant and top-of-mind with customers after the festive season.
Building Your Hospitality Marketing Strategy Around Your Brand & Customer Experience
During the quiet period, it’s more important than ever to focus on delivering memorable experiences that will keep your guests coming back for more. This is where you can weave your brand pillars into the strategy, reinforcing what makes your restaurant or bar unique.
Reaffirm Your Brand Experience
The quiet period is the perfect time to reflect on and reinforce your brand’s identity. What makes your restaurant or bar special? Whether it's your farm-to-table menu, signature cocktails, or personalized customer service, use the quieter months to emphasize these unique selling points (USPs) and build upon them.
Show off your USP with themed experiences: Create winter-themed events that align with your brand’s core values. If you’re a cocktail bar, consider running a seasonal cocktail competition where guests can vote on their favourites, offering them a more interactive experience.
Surprise and delight guests with seasonal offerings: A winter “tasting menu” or seasonal drink specials is a great way to spice up the guest experience during the slower months.
Refining Your Customer Service Approach
Service quality should always be a top priority, but during the quiet period, it’s especially important. Personalised customer service ensures your guests feel valued, which is crucial for driving repeat visits. Train your team to go beyond expectations: tagging high spenders and VIPs, recommending personalised menu items, or offering small touches like a complimentary after-dinner digestif can go a long way in building customer loyalty.
Driving Traffic with Smart Promotions and Upselling
Once you’ve set your strategic goals and laid the groundwork, it’s time to drive traffic. The goal is to maximise your quiet period bookings and make every customer feel like they’re getting something special during their visit. You want to focus on the top of your funnel, or volume at this time of the year so that even if bookings are low, it does set up the stage for the rest of the year by driving awareness among potential guests.
Just because the venue is quieter doesn’t mean your marketing should be. Use social media, email marketing, and SEO to stay connected with your audience and continue driving bookings.
A. Local SEO & Google My Business Optimisation
Customers searching for “restaurants near me” or “bars for January specials” often look on Google My Business first. Make sure your business profile is fully updated with the correct hours, location, and any relevant holiday offers. This is especially critical when it comes to local SEO.
Ensure your menu is up to date, and don’t forget to add holiday-themed dishes or winter drinks to your description.
Use long-tail keywords like “restaurant offers January London” or “best bars for New Year’s Eve bookings” to rank higher in local searches.
B. Email Campaigns & Retargeting
Leverage email marketing to stay in touch with guests who visited during the holiday season. Offering them exclusive discounts or reminding them of the gift card redemption offer could bring them back in for another visit.
Post-holiday thank you emails: Personalize emails to guests who dined with you over Christmas, offering special promotions to encourage them to come back.
Use retargeting ads to bring back visitors who may have interacted with your website but didn’t book.
The quiet period following the holiday rush can feel like a challenge, but with the right strategic mindset, you can turn these quieter months into a profitable opportunity. By creating data-driven promotions, optimising your customer experience, and maintaining strong digital visibility, you can keep your restaurant or bar thriving during January and February. And even if the numbers don’t spike especially, you’ve set the stage for better results for the rest of the year.
At the end of the day, the key to making the most of the quiet period in hospitality is strategic foresight. And while you can do much of the work in-house, a creative agency can help you optimise your approach, build campaigns that maximise bookings, and ensure your venue’s brand continues to shine throughout the slow months.
Contact us to learn how we can help your hospitality business drive revenue and brand loyalty during the post-Christmas slump and beyond.
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